Amazon’s No-Line Grocery Store Could Be a Game-Changer

Amazon is experimenting with a grocery store concept called Amazon Go, in which there are no checkout lines. That's because customers with the Amazon Go app can just grab what they want from shelves and leave the store without ever opening their wallets.

According to Amazon:

Our checkout-free shopping experience is made possible by the same types of technologies used in self-driving cars: computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning. Our Just Walk Out technology automatically detects when products are taken from or returned to the shelves and keeps track of them in a virtual cart. When you’re done shopping, you can just leave the store. Shortly after, we’ll charge your Amazon account and send you a receipt.

Presently, Amazon Go is only available to the company's employees and is being tested at one facility in Seattle. It's expected to open to the public next year. It's unclear if and when more stores will follow suit and what kind of potential impact this brick-and-mortar could have on jobs.

As for what customers can purchase, Amazon says it will sell "delicious ready-to-eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options made fresh every day by our on-site chefs and favorite local kitchens and bakeries. Our selection of grocery essentials ranges from staples like bread and milk to artisan cheeses and locally made chocolates."